Problem With Neighbor's Chickens
 

Hello All,
I recently set up one of my deer feeders in the woods behind my house. This morning I walked back there to check my trail cam and saw 7 chickens running away. These chickens belong to the neighbor who lives behind me. I've dealt with him before, as his horses have gotten out and were hanging out in my yard on several occasions. This guy is a real class act. Does't really care what his animals are doing. When I brought the horses to his attention, he just kinda shrugged saying "Yeah, they get bored sometimes and go for a walk" :eek: He has made no effort since then to keep it from happening again. Now his chickens are coming onto my property and eating all the corn the feeder spits out before the deer have a chance to get it.

My question is...should I attempt to communicate with him again or should I just load my shotgun with birdshot and fill the freezer with chicken breasts?

Any advise would be greatly appritiated.

Kind Regard,
Axel

I would talk with him again and let him know that the chickens are eating your corn. Keeping a civil relationship with him is most important since the problems could get much worse than losing a little bit of corn. The responsibility is on him to keep his stock on his own property and he should be aware of that. I had a similar problem a couple of years ago with some neighboring dogs and after repeated problems with them getting on to my property I had a lawyer draft a letter telling him that he was in violation of town leash laws and that the dogs weren't welcome on my property. A copy was sent to the town and suddenly he had a contractor there and spent thousands fencing in his whole yard. The law was on my side and if he had co-operated he wouldn't have had to spend the bucks to guarantee that the dogs stay on his place. Chickens in the freezer would be a last resort but it sounds like the guy is a moron who would just keep buying them.

I agree with CI. I would try to keep it civil as long as you can. If there's no change, get the law involved.

If your feeder has a timer set it for just after dark after the chickens go to roost, then I would just tell him in a good way to keep his animals off your property. If that doesnt work call animal control and let them handle it, they can dish out some hefty fines!

Good luck.......I hate stupid neighbors! :hit:

I'll let you borrow my English Springer Spaniel...no more chickens, no more problems.
(Sorry, I couldn't help myself.... :>)

Seriously, CI has the right idea. You owe it to your neighbor to at least talk to him about what's going on. Hopefully, he'll keep his chickens on his property. If not, he must understand it will be unacceptable for this to continue. You have rights and options and hopefully it won't get to that point.

Good Luck

If those chickens are ranging far enough out in the woods to be around deer feeders, i would assume that the varmints, owls, and hawks will take care of them a lot quicker than animal control could.

Theres an easy solution, stop feeding the deer for a while and the chickens will stop goign to the feeder, if not, then shoot on site.

Fried chicken, purple hull peas, collard greens and mashed potatoes and gravy is hard to beat.

I'm sorry but you already know what this guy is about from past dealings with him. IMO he going to look at any complaint you have about the same way he dealt with the horse issue.

Personally I would take a couple chickens at a time and fry them up. If he doesn't get the hint as their numbers dwindle then he will eventually lose them all.

It is not your responsibility to fatten up his chickens for his benefit. The way I see it is if you are fattening them up it best be for your benefit.

My thoughts exactly. :violin::fighting0007:

You obviously have already talked to him and he doesn't seem to care. I would be eating chicken for awhile.

Knock em down!!!

You're probably the only one feeding the chickens. Harvest away!!! :groupwave: :fighting0007:

talk if no action is made free chicken for a few months

chickens
 

Pellet gun is quiet and good practice on chickens.

chickens
 

pllet gun is quiet.

imo i would talk to your neighbor and let him know that you are willing to get the law involved if he doesnt take action. if he continues to let his chickens run free then you can decide whats more important... giveing your neighbor a fine, or chicken breasts on the grill.

It's very unlikely that this guy has changed from the last time you talked to him about the horse. Once you talk to him about the chickens you have to be prepared for all the legal hassles involved with turning him in. If it were me I'd go the pellet gun route. I see that you're in Florida, the state considers livestock to be the property of the landowner whos property they are on. When those chickens are on your property eating your corn, they belong to you, and you are free to do with them as you please. It's the same law that allows us to hunt hogs year round on private property.

You could foot the bill for a $4 bag of feed, chickens require special feed for what I'm about to tell you, then pour it in a pile on his property at the edge of where they hand around. Buy the right feed and they'll begin laying eggs. Chickens that roam start laying eggs whereever and before long he'll have a dozen spots filled up with rotten chicken eggs. Or, make good of the situation and collect yourself some fresh eggs. Either way, short of killing them, you aren't going to get rid of them because they hang around. Out of seven we had we still have one that roams the yard thinking it's a cat, it comes when you call it and likes to be carried around a petted.

Call your local animal control, and ask them what's the deal with free ranging chickens. Get permission, them drop them. Neighbor gets ugly, you've already been in touch with the authorities. Sucks having nieghbors like that, but you have to do what you have to do.

If you don't want to shoot them, then get grits.
And put it where the chickens can get to it, but not the deer.
The chickens will fill there belly up, and when they drink water, it will swell up and kill them.
Probbly on the neighbors land.
It works for rats also.

I don't think there is a season on free range chickens,soooo.:fighting0007: